Financial Literacy Fairs Spring Up: Slide Show

The WEOKIE Foundation of the $881 million WEOKIE Credit Union in Oklahoma City said a visit to a finance class at Mustang High School pushed the foundation’s outreach to more than 20,000 students since it began its Money Talks program in 2007. In that time Money Talks has held more than 847 classroom sessions on topics such as saving, credit, identity theft, budgeting, checking and gambling. Sessions can also be tailored to cover any of the state of Oklahoma 14 Financial Literacy Standards mandated by the Oklahoma Passport to Financial Literacy Act. Here, Cedric Gadson, the WEOKIE Foundation’s financial education specialist, is talking about identity theft as something the high school students need to learn about as they make their way into the world ahead.

April was National Youth Month and a big month for financial literacy fairs across the land. Credit unions joined in, and each had its own approach for educating students of all ages about financial services and financial realities.

Here's a look at five of them from Texas, Oklahoma, California and Florida.

Next: BrightStar in Florida

More than 150 people, including this group surrounding mascot Cosmo, attended a Free Financial Fitness Fair for youth, credit union members and the community held by the $382 million BrightStar Credit Union of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the city of Pembroke Pines during Credit Union Youth Week Financial Literacy Month. The seminars for adults and special activities for children were held at Walter C. Young Middle School.

Next: Redwood in California

San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips congratulates the 85 high school seniors attending the Bite of Reality at San Rafael High School on taking their first step to financial literacy. The event was presented by the $2.1 billion Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, Calif., and the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, and the Bite of Reality program is from the Richard Myles Johnson Foundation supported by credit unions in California and Nevada.

Next: People's Trust in Texas

The $441 million People’s Trust FCU’s People’s Trust Foundation in Houston recently put on a REAL Solutions Financial Reality Fair for nearly 100 students at Alief Hastings Ninth Grade Center. The fair featured simulated spending situations that occur regularly in everyday life (such as purchasing a car, paying for groceries or renting an apartment) and was designed to teach teens the basics and importance of budgeting. People’s Trust employees and volunteers from other businesses staffed the booths, including people from Best Buy, HEB Grocery, Liberty Mutual, Family Services of Greater Houston, Member Home Loan and the Federal Reserve Bank Houston Branch.

Next: NuVision in California

The $1.2 billion NuVision Federal Credit Union in Huntington Beach, Calif., celebrated National Youth Month by visiting 16 local elementary schools to educate kids about money and banking while encouraging them to save. NuVision is also celebrating with special promotions and prizes, including matching deposits and a Nintendo Wii giveaway, to encourage its youngest members. NuVision offers a variety of youth membership accounts that help kids of all ages become “Big Wave Savers.” Here, NuVision visits Hillcrest Elementary School in Monterey Park.